Graduation cap



May 19, 1964 R. M. MILLS ETAL 3,133,290

GRADUATION CAP Filed Oct. 12, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS RICHARD NLMILLS BY DONALD A.WOLF

\izwym ATTORNEYS R. M. MILLS ETAL GRADUATION CAP May 19, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 12, 1961 F g- INVENTORS RICHARD M. MILLS BY DONALD A. WOLF ATTORN EYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,133,290 GUATION CAP Richard M. Mills, Cleveland, and Donald A. Wolf, Beachwood Village, Ohio, assignors to Ward-Hall Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 144,645 3 Claims. ((31. 2-197) This invention relates generally to graduation caps, but has reference more particularly to improvements in the cap disclosed in our US. Patent No. 2,987,731.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a cap of the character described, in which improved means are provided for adjusting the crown of the cap to various head sizes, and for maintaining the crown in adjusted condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a crown of improved construction.

A further object object of the invention is to provide a cap of the character described, having a top of improved construction.

Other objects and advantages of our invention Will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the top of the cap;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the cap, before assembly of the crown with the top;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

' FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but with the crown assembled with the top, and with a portion of the crown and top broken away to better illustrate the construction;

3,133,290 Patented May 19, 1964 the inner edge of the core 5, so as to permit these plies to be electronically heat-sealed to each other at the edges of the openings 7, as also indicated in FIGS. 3 and 5.

The exterior surfaces of the plies 2 and 4 are preferably embossed so as to simulate the appearance of cloth.

The lower part of the top, comprising the plies 3 and 4 and the core 5 is thus free from securement to the upper part of the top, comprising the ply 2, core 1 and liner 6, in the peripheral area circumscribing the openings in the lower part.

The cap further comprises a separate head encompassing portion or crown band, generally designated by reference numeral 8. The crown is die-cut, and is preferably made of thin fleic'ble cardboard, one surface of which is preferably embossed to simulate the appearance of cloth.

The part 8, shown in fiat blank form in FIG. 8, is adapted, when assembled with the top, to fit about the head of the wearer, and thus form the side or crown of the cap.

The part 8 is wider at its two ends and at the middle than at other parts of the blank, and has one of its long edges 9 of a contour similar to that of the familiar brace or bracket which is pointed or slightly rounded at the middle thereof, as at 10, this edge 9 being the lower edge of the crown of the cap, when in completed form, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The other long edge 11 of the blank is provided with spaced tongues 12 which are of a length such as to be insertable into and slidable in the space 13 between the parts 3 and 6 of the top,

in the manner indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on v the line 5-5 of FIG. 4; v

' FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the rear portion of the crown, as viewed from the inside of the crown, showing the adjusting means;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line '77 of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 is a view of the blank used for the crown.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the cap will be seen to comprise a substantially rigid flat square top, consisting of a square core or stiffener 1, preferably made of cardboard of a thickness of about 0.10", a square ply 2 of vinyl plastic film, and two square plies, 3 and 4, of similar vinyl plastic film. The film is preferably of from .005 to .018" in thickness. For added stiffness, a square core 5 of thin stiff board is interposed between the plies 3 and 4. A paper liner 6 square in form and of a color on its lower face similar to the color of the vinyl plastic film, is interposed between the core 1 and the ply 3.

The plies 3 and 4 are provided centrally thereof with registering oval-shaped openings 7, the major axes of which extend through one pair of diagonally-opposed corners or" these plies, and the minor axes of which extend through the other pair of diagonally-opposed corners of these plies. The sides or side edges of these openings meet to form a point A, which lies on the aforesaid major axes, and which point is located near the front end of the cap, as worn.

The plies 2, 3 and 4 are of substantially the same exterior contour as the cardboard stiffener and the core 5, but extend slightly beyond the edges of the stiffener 1 and core 5, so as to permit the plies 2, 3 and 4 to be electronically heat sealed to each other at their exterior edges, as indicated in FIG. 3.

Similarly, the plies 3 and 4 extend inwardly beyond As the curve along the edge 9 of the blank 8 is of symmetrical form, so also are the tongues 12 provided and arranged in asymmetrical manner along the edge 11 with respect to the middle of the blank, so as to perr'nit the assembly of the several parts in the symmetrical manner indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

' The blank 8 is also provided at its ends with means for adjustably and detachably connecting together the opposite ends of the blank to form a tubular crown band. For this purpose, the blank is provided at one end with a tongue 14 which, in blank form, appears as shown in FIG. 8. The tongue is unattached to the end of the blank, along the the slits 15 and 16, and is provided with a'crease line 17, for a purpose to be presently described. The portion of the tongue 14, at one side of the crease line 17, is of triangular conformation, having a point 18, for a purpose to be presently described, while the portion of the tongueat the other side of the crease line 17 is provided, at its outer edge with a notch 19, for a purpose to be presently described.

The blank 8 is provided nearits opposite end with a series of spaced slits 20, the function of which will be presently explained.

. The blank 8, being made of a thin flexible cardboard, is bendable so as to permit it to assume the intended shape for fitting about the head of the wearer in a snug and comfortable manner, and also to permit the tongues 12 to extend substantially parallel with the top of the cap, While the remaining part of the crown may extend at an outwardly diverging angle to the top, when the parts are completely assembled, as shown in FIG. 5.

In assembling the crown with the top of the cap, the tongues 12 are bent and inserted into the space 13 between the parts 3 and 6, in such a manner as to place the point 10 adjacent the point A of the oval-shaped openings 7, in line with the major axes of these openings. Then, as the tongues 12 are inserted into position, the crown blank will be bent to conform with the oval-shaped openings, so as to bring the two ends of the blank together at the rear ends of the oval-shaped openings '7.

The crown may then be adjusted to fit the head of the wearer. For this purpose, the portion of the tongue 14, which contains the notch 19, is folded along the crease line 1'7, and over into engagement with the inner face of the triangular portion of the tongue and the inner face of the crown. This brings the notch 19 to a position along the edge 21 of the biank in which the slit substantially bisects the angle between the sides 22 and 23 of the notch, as shown in FIG. 6.

The tongue 14, as thus folded, is inserted in and through that one of the slits 20, which enables the crown band to conform most closely to the head of the wearer, and when the slit 15 and notch 19 are aligned with the edge 21 of the crown band, the end of the crown band, which carries the tongue 14 is pulled downwardly, with respect to the other end of the crown band, so as to cause the lower edge of the slit to enter the slit 15 and notch 19, thereby effectively locking the tongue 14 against displacement from the slit 20. In other words, the lower edge of the slit 20 becomes wedged in the slit 15 and notch 19. Due to the provision of the pointed end 18 of the tongue 14, the insertion of the tongue 14 into and through the slots 20 is greatly facilitated, particularly since this pointed end acts to spread apart the sides forming the slits, permitting the tongue to be quickly and easily pushed through the slits.

It has also been determined that if a number of the tongues 12 adjacent each end of the crown blank are longitudinally slitted, as at 24, the insertion of these tongues into the space 13 between the parts 3 and 6 is facilitated, due to the fact that the parts of these tongues at each side of the slit can spread apart.

It is thus seen that we have provided a cap of the character described having improved means for adjusting the crown of the cap to various head sizes, and for maintaining the crown in adjusted position; and'that both the crown and top are of materially improved construction.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as apreferred example of the same, and that various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of parts thereof, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a graduation cap of the character described, a crown band having two ends, a series of slits in said band adjacent one of said ends, and a tongue extending from the other end of said band, said tongue consisting of a portion of triangular contour having a base a part of which is attached to said other end and sides terminating in an apex, and a second portion underlying said first portion and joined to one of said sides of said first portion, a slit extending along said base and said other end of said band adjacent one of said sides of said first portion of said tongue, said second portion of said tongue having an apex which coincides with the apex of said first portion, and an edge a portion of which coincides with the other of said sides of said first portion and extends past the base of said first portion and has a notch therein which underlies said base slit, the portion of said crown band below one of said first-named series of slits being disposed within said base slit and notch to thereby secure the ends of the crown band together.

2. In a graduation cap of the character described, a crown band comprising a blank having two ends, a series of slits in said band adjacent one of said ends, and a tongue extending from the other end of said blank, said tongue having a crease line, the portion of said tongue at one side of said crease line being of triangular conformation having an apex spaced from said other end of the blank and a base, one end of which is defined by a slit, said crease line forming one side of said triangle, the portion of said tongue at the other side of said crease line having an edge which extends to the other end of said base and defines with said other end of said blank another siit, said last-named portion of said tongue having another edge having a V-shaped notch therein, said last-named portion of said tongue being foldable along said crease line under said triangular portion, whereby to provide with said triangular portion a double-ply tongue, with said edge which has said V-shaped notch aligned with the other side of said triangle and said V-shaped notch aligned with the slit defining one end of said base, whereby said slit defining one end of said base and said notch are adapted to receive a portion of the band below one of said first-named slits to thereby secure the ends of the crown band together.

3. In a graduation cap of the character described, a substantially rigid fiat square to consisting of a square stiffener of cardboard having outer edges, an upper square part of plastic film having marginal portions extending eyond the outer edges of said stillener, and a lower part consisting of plastic film plies and a stiffener core interposed between said plies and having outer edges, said plies having portions extending outwardly beyond the outer edges of said stiffener and stiffener core and heat sealed to each other and to said marginal portions of said firstnamed plastic film, and having portions extending inwardly past said stiffener core and heat-sealed to each other, said plies thus completely enclosing said stiffener core, said plies and stiffener core providing an ovalshaped opening adapted to permit passage therethrough of portions of a crown band to be disposed between the top and lower part of said cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,592,479 Williams July 13, 1926 2,004,098 Andrews June 11, 1935 2,022,601 McDonald Nov. 26, 1935 2,377,084 Keslar May 29, 1945 2,798,656 Kuchenbecker July 9, 1957 2,899,682 LaMaida Aug. 18, 1959 2,987,731 Mills et al. June 13, 1961 3,018,487 OReilly Jan. 30, 1962 

1. IN A GRADUATION CAP OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A CROWN BAND HAVING TWO ENDS, A SERIES OF SLITS IN SAID BAND ADJACENT ONE OF SAID ENDS, AND A TONGUE EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID BAND, SAID TONGUE CONSISTING OF A PORTION OF TRIANGULAR CONTOUR HAVING A BASE A PART OF WHICH IS ATTACHED TO SAID OTHER END AND SIDES TERMINATING IN AN APEX, AND A SECOND PORTION UNDERLYING SAID FIRST PORTION AND JOINED TO ONE OF SAID SIDES OF SAID FIRST PORTION, A SLIT EXTENDING ALONG SAID BASE AND SAID OTHER END HAVING AN APEX WHICH COINCIDES WITH THE APEX OF SAID FIRST PORTION, AND AN EDGE A PORTION OF WHICH COINCIDES WITH THE OTHER OF SAID SIDES OF SAID FIRST PORTION AND EXTENDS PAST THE BASE OF SAID FIRST PORTION AND HAS A NOTCH THEREIN WHICH UNDERLIES SAID BASE SLIT, THE PORTION OF SAID CROWN BAND BELOW ONE OF SAID FIRST-NAMED SERIES OF SLITS BEING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BASE SLIT AND NOTCH TO THEREBY SECURE THE ENDS OF THE CROWN BAND TOGETHER. 